Fresh off their first back-to-back road wins since May 12-13 (at New York and Colorado), the Nationals made their way last night from Cincinnati to Milwaukee. They'll open a three-game, weekend series against the Brewers this evening, hoping to sustain some positive momentum for the first time in a long time.

Speaking of maintaining positive momentum, Craig Stammen takes the mound tonight for the opener, hoping to pick up where he left off Sunday at Florida (he allowed one run over six strong innings). J.D. Martin starts tomorrow. Sunday's starter remains unannounced. John Lannan pitched last night for Harrisburg, so it won't be him. Ross Detwiler threw seven innings Wednesday, so he's unlikely to be called up to pitch on short rest. That leaves Matt Chico, who is listed as tonight's starter for Syracuse. If he gets scratched, we'll know why.

After covering the first two legs of this road trip, I've returned home for the weekend. So no reports from Milwaukee. I'll put up the gameday threads each day, though, and will provide lineups once they're announced. If there's any other significant news, I'll be sure to pass that along as well…

I seriously doubt it will be Batista. He needs to be available as a long reliever if someone blows up over the next few nights. And if he starts and pitches 5 innings on Sunday, he can't serve that role for the next several days either. I'd guess it's probably Chico, and if he pitches well, he'll stay up until he falters, at which time Detwiler (or Olsen) moves into that spot. And with Chico scheduled tonight in Syracuse, they'll need to make that call today. Mark, enjoy the hot weekend weather in DC. You've done yeoman duty in Miami and Cincy and deserve a break.

I seriously doubt it will be Batista. He needs to be available as a long reliever if someone blows up over the next few nights. And if he starts and pitches 5 innings on Sunday, he can't serve that role for the next several days either.I've noticed Riggleman toward using Clippard sooner and Storen/Burnett/Peralta later. I think Clippard is better in the middle relief/long relief emergency setup role. Batista has only pitched once since July 10th on the 19th for 0.1 inning and 17 pitches. He would have come in as an innings eater in those high scoring games in the bandbox don't you think?

Short term issues like replacing Atilano are interesting but look at all coming within the next 40 days.Hard to believe we are 39 days to September callup time, less than a month from the time we are on Bryce Harper signing deadline, and a little more than a week before the trade deadline.Rizzo has a lot of work in front of him!

Would you guys really rather see Batista start than Chico? That idea kind of scares me. Chico did decently in a spot start early in the year and has been pitching well in the minors recently.Have to agree with Section 222. Matt has pitched great for the past month and deserves another shot.And they talk about Morse lovers? Chico lovers I see? First Chico has yet to equal or surpass JD Martin's stats in Syracuse. Rizzo likes guys who master the level they are at. Chico really has yet to do that in AAA? He is now 27 years old. Section 222 weren't you one of the guys who claimed Martin was AAAA? Well look at your guy. His WHIP is 1.338 his ERA is 3.55 just recently dropped from above 4. He has 24 walks agains 41 strike outs and 4 wild pitches. Decent. But do you see an upside for this guy. Oh, JD Martin's stats in SYR? 8 walks against 25 strikeouts with a 1.17 WHIP. Last year his stats led the team starters and he was the Chief's ace. I just don't see that with Chico. Do you? But Detwiler looks a lot better right now. Unlike Chico he does have a significant upside. He has 31 strikeouts against 7 walks. He also has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.378 WHIP while rehabbing.But, isn't Detwiler someone they need to look long and hard at before next season? They already know all there is about AAAA Matt Chico don't they? Detwiler is still young, still a potential #1, #2, #3 as their #1 2007 draft pick now at the advanced age of 24. Riggleman himself said whoever they bring up the plan on keeping for awhile to evaluate. So, Batista starts so that Detwiler gets enough rest in between starts. This team isn't going anywhere and they need top of the rotation starting pitchers next year. Chico is another #4, #5 who cannot even beat out a JD Martin.

Oooops well Ladson said Detwiler gets the start on Sunday … that of course means Batista comes in if he tires early. So, its a swap.Matt Chico is like Lannan, lhis saving grace is his left handedness as a starter. However,iIf I were these guys I would start thinking about wrangling a relief role.

It's very hard to think about Lannan and Chico as relievers to me. To me, relievers are guys who have a plus pitch and are short a secondary pitch or two that won't get them through the lineup a second or third time. Those are guys who have to get buy on guile and command and ground balls. Looks to me that Chico needs to go elsewhere to get a real shot and Lannan has to get it together for a real chance to make the club out of camp. He's gonna be at a disadvantage because tie often goes to the bigger contract or bigger name like Marquis and Wang.

I wish the various anonymi posters would take a few seconds to pick out a handle so the rest of us could tell them apart. Gets to be a pain agreeing or arguing in a lone string and there are five folks posting as "Anonymous"

The only problem I have with Detwiler is the short rest. But hopefully, he's here to stay. Rmoore446,,, alot of the anonymous posters are guys who had handles but got tired of the ridicule they got for their constant "sky is falling and you're all idiots" posts.

Rmoore, agreed, but as NatsJack hints, some of the anonymi (loved that, btw) may not particularly care about facilitating discussion with blog denizens. At least we can sometimes still tell who's who due to frequent displays of the same bias or to syntactic and formatting tendencies. Well, that, and the fact that some are given to making nearly identical posts on other blogs while using their old moniker(s).

Thank you Cwj!! And I don't if anonymi figure at some point they have "worn out" a name and change to another. Ideally, I'd like continuity from day to day but what really gets annoying is to have a single game string with a bunch a folks all posting as "anonymous." I used to post on various Nats blogs as Moorich but months ago I found it easier to tap into an existing profile and go this route.

Evening fellow fans. A draft question for the others here:Do you expect the Nats to sign AJ Cole?Would you be upset if we didn't?I expect that we will, but KLaw put it at 50-60% the other afternoon. He also said he'd take Cole over Purke, an ace at TCU. Our system could use Cole so badly — upside of an ace, floor of a #3-4…pony up the million Ted. We've got Guzman coming off the books at the end of the year.Also, I've had dreams of us snagging Montero for Dunn.

Peric — I know you like to pick fights with people, but (1) I'm not a Chico lover, I just said that he was a better choice for this start than Batista. I'm happy they think Detwiler is ready and can pitch on short rest. And (2) I've never said that Martin is AAAA. I like JD, I don't think he's a long term solution for the rotation but he's pitched well this year, and did last year as well. And finally, Morse just hit another bomb. I will not apologize for believing and continuing to argue that he should get a shot to play more regularly. The only argument that people have come up with to justify Rigg's underuse of him is that somehow if he was good enough to play more it would have happened by now. That's a pretty lame excuse for not recognizing the possiblity that the guy could really help the team if he got more at bats.

section 222, I think I'm also the very first, to say that Morse wasn't AAAA, looked a lot better than a too tall, lousy shortstop who belonged in Syracuse. So, of course I have been thinking he should have been starring from last year! But that's just me …Sorry for seeming like I was "picking a fight" … you are right … but you can well imagine I am really tired of people here denigrating JD Martin and Mike Morse. Including the blog owners and mainstream media types. They have been doing it since last year and continue. Yet somehow, some way JD Martin finds his way into the rotation often on sheer will and guts instead of talent. Its hard not to like someone like that … its probably why Livo likes him- peric

@ phil dunn…there aren't alot of options out there for MLB managers are there? We could get Torre, but he is too expensive. Cox and Pinella are retiring. Showwalter is an AL manager and Bobby V (my fav of the bunch) is probably going to the Marlins. So we are stuck with a Riggleman who knows the team, and makes the minimum salary (if there is one).I don't like it, but he is probably the best we can get at this point.

I have a friend who's a beat writer for the Cubs, and he says "Riggleman is good. Get him some talent." I respect a professional opinion, but honestly, I just don't see it. The guy seems like a bad gin rummy player to me.

Did you see Willie Harris on that 3-1 pitch in the 9th? He literally stood straight with his bat over his shoulder as if he was being intentionally walked. He should have crouched closer to maybe earn a walk if that was his intention.Here I thought that maybe Willie Harris had turned the corner and would see .200 again!

Finding this way late, so probably no one is gonna see it and add to it, but the Nats reupping with Riggleman is pretty disappointing. There are too many signs of zero creativity, and continued troubling signs of running pitchers into the ground. (Even with Clippard, while he said he didn't want to do it then doing it anyway in the first half.)I cannot believe that there are not better options out there.

… okay, it's time – time to trade Mike Morse. No, not for the team's sake, hell no. It's for his sake! How much more rejection and disregard can he be expected to endure, for God's sake?Go Nats … I dare ya'!

I am, like most of here, baffled by Riggleman's crappy handling of Mike Morse. Mike has been pretty darn good in most situations and the continual yanking him in games is just BS. Morse's stats just don't justify Rigg's moves:6 HR's,26Hits,16 RBI's in 77 AB's1,022OPSAgainst LH pitchers: .310BA/643SLGAgainst RH's: .371BA/ .629 SLG I know the guy isn't the most graceful looking fielder, but since he stopped playing as a starting SS with Seattle in 2005 the guy has not had one error while playing 3B, 1B, LF, and RF. Not one error since 2005 even makes it hard to make the defensive replacement argument. He also has a decent arm.Riggleman's "situational" handling of Mike Morse is just absurd. You want to platoon him with Bernadina, fine. But for goodness sakes, man, don't pull him in every game that you start him.

Section 222 said… Looks like we're seeing Good Stammen tonight. Two starts in a row, that is progress. Keep it up Craig! July 23, 2010 9:10 PM ============================================What game were you watching? This guy is a relief pitcher at best. He has had 2 decent starts this year and can't make it through the 5th and you call that progress!

Oh Boy, we are so lucky we get DOUBLE SWITCH Riggleman back in 2011. I don't know if I can stand him another season. Also, can't we improve on front door, back door and swing back Bob Carpenter. Whatever happened to the good announcers who didn't have to be part of the game. They just reported the game!Also, when are we going to get out of those ugly RED uniforms. The only time George WASHINGTON wore red was in the French and Indian War. He was a British soldier. We should be in BLUE with red trim. BE TRUE AND WEAR BLUE!!!Do you like being the JR. CINCINNATI REDS? Mr. Wsh Nat

Mark – Do you have any sense as to whether the players in the clubhouse are confused / frustrated with the lack of playing time for Michael Morse?One would think that guys that want to win want to see Morse in the lineup more often, and maybe, just maybe, for 9 innings every now and then.Whether they verbalize it or not, there's got to be some guys shaking their heads at the double switches, and at the lineup cards.

Since we're beating up on Bob Carpenter along with our usual stuff about various Nats, I'd like to put in a good word for Bob Carpenter's commentary. IMHO it's perceptive and knowledgeable about baseball and often light-hearted and fun. Who are some "good announcers who didn't have to be part of the game." Back in the day I enjoyed Russ Hodges and Lon Simmons and now John Miller who, like Carpenter, favored/favor the home team but still were/are "pros", as Riggleman likes to say. I think maybe one could make a case for Dibble being a little over the top, although, hey, I enjoy his commentary, too. On the other hand, I don't like Joe Buck's commentary on the Fox game of the week, who is (or should be) non-partisan but often seems distracted and not focused on the game at hand. Maybe the ancient one, Vince Scully? But his blood is blue, right? BTW, have you listened to him lately? Still going strong.

Sunderland, I think that you're correct in thinking that the guys have to be shaking their heads. It really screws with team chemistry, which is where I think Riggleman just doesn't get it. Hey, look, I'm pulling for Riggs to succeed, being a local guy and all, but a lot of us are losing confidence in him.

@Dejavu — Clearly I spoke too early (note the time of my post– 9:10 pm). I was being hopeful, and I deeply apologize to you and to anyone else I offended. With the benefit of hindsight, which you had at 9:27 am this morning, I see the error of my ways, and will endeavor to never post anything again that might turn out to be wrong in retrospect… yeah right!On the topic of the day, Riggs' overmanaging, it seems to me that all the doubleswitches he pulled last night, including the infamous switching out of Morse and his hot bat, were the result of trying to avoid pinch hitting for the pitcher in the next inning, rather than trying to improve the defense. So if only Morse had gotten a hit in the 6th inning, he might have avoided getting pulled. That seems nuts to me, but I'd be interested in the analysis (with generous doses of hindsight) of the rabble in here.

Crapenter and Dribble just don't know when to STFU! They believe they have to fill every second of airtime with their voices, as such, much of what they say is nonsensical and idiotic gibberish.I have no problems with announcers being homers, as long as they are objective. These two clowns are far from objective.

N. Cognito: Which broadcast are you talking about? I watched last night's game, and there were several moments of silence when pitches were fouled off… and both Carpy and Dibble were quick to compliment the other team's players when they made some great catches/pitches/etc. (They consistently pointed out Stammen's mistakes as well.)

Section 222 said…Well done, sec222. Laughing out loud here. :-)@Dejavu — Clearly I spoke too early (note the time of my post– 9:10 pm). I was being hopeful, and I deeply apologize to you and to anyone else I offended. With the benefit of hindsight, which you had at 9:27 am this morning, I see the error of my ways, and will endeavor to never post anything again that might turn out to be wrong in retrospect… yeah right!